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A. B. MAcKAY.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATIQN FILED SEPT. 2. 1921.

Patented June 6, 1922 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR B. IEAGKAY, 0F WOBURN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN J.

ATET

GROTI-IE COMPANY, INC., OF WOB'URN, lvlTASSAGHUSETT v A GUREORATION OF MASSA GHUSETTS.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Application filed September 2, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR B. lv'lAoKAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woburn, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus, o'l which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved refrigerating apparatus.

The apparatus is particularly adapted to be used in connection with a vehicle, such for example, as an automobile truck, for the delivery of ice cream and other goods which must be kept at a temperature lower than that of the outside air and which will maintain a temperature in the container of the apparatus below the zero degree Fahrenheit when the temperature oi the atmosphere outside the container is eighty degrees or more.

It is the object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the character set forth which is cheap, sii'nple, etlicacious in its operation and light, so that it may be carried upon a light truck and thus reduce the expense of carrying on the business.

In carrying my invention into practical operation, I provide first oiall a container having a cooling chamber for articles which are to be kept cool, such as ice cream and the like, and this container is preferably made of sheet metal and has a concavity extending across the entire top in which brine, caused by the melting ice and dissolving salt mixing together, will collect and flowing over the edges of the concavity will thereupon flow downwardly on all ioursides of the container and beneath the bottom thereof, this flowing brine mixture causing a great reduction in the temperature within the container and keeping that temperature at a low degree. By actual test and use, the temperature in this container is kept for a long period at five degrees below Zero Fahrenheit.

The metal container rests upon a floor having spaces extending along its upper surface adjacent to the bottom of said container and is surrounded on its four sides and across its top by a chamber adapted to contain a mixture of salt and ice. The four sides of the refrigerating apparatus also embody an intermediate section, or a wall, preferably of cypress spaced apart from. said Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6,1922.

Serial No. 498,080.

container, and another wall surroundin sa1d intermediate wall, preferably also 0? wood, spaced apart from said intermediate wall to form an air chamber which is segregated irom the cooling chamber in the container so that the air in the container does not circulate through the air chamber.

In this construction the ice and salt miX- ture are enabled to melt at just the right degree of speed so as to continually produce a sheet of brine upon the outside of the metal container extending across the top, the four sides and bottom thereof in contact with said container. The air chamber between the intermediate and outer walls will produce this result, that is, it will allow enough heat from the outside air to penetrate to the ice and salt to cause the same to melt and intermingle slowly, which is the result desired. For it some of the heat of 75 the outside air is not allowed to penetrate to the lee and salt mixture, the ice and salt will become congealed mass and the temperature of the interior of the contain r will not be nearly as low as where the ice and salt are continually melting and intermingling and the brine mixture is continually flowing over the walls of the inner container and the top and bottom thereof, thus enclosing the container in a sheet or layer of brine.

The invention contemplates melting the ice above the top of the metal container faster than at the sides, so as to supply a steady and continuous supply of brine to the sides and bottom thereof and this is accomplished by providing a chamber for the salt and ice between the top of the metal container and the outer top of the refrigerating apparatus which has not a separate air chamber above it such as is provided in the four vertical walls of the a aparatus.

To these ends the invention consists in the improved apparatus herein described and more particularly set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of an automobile truck with my improved refrigerating apparatus attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line of Figure l. V

is. a detail horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 5 is a truck of wellknown construction and attached thereto, as a matter of convenience, is a container .6 pro vided with chambers 7 and 8 adapted to contain ice and salt respectively, to which access is obtained by means of a door 9. The apparatus of my invention as illustrated is placed upon the truck at the rear end thereof and consists as a whole of the refrigerating apparatus 10 comprising a container 11 which has vertical sheet metal walls 12, a sheet metal bottom 13 and a sheet metal top 1 1. This container rests upon a floor 15 provided with spaces 16 for the circulation of brine therethrough which passes outwardly from the apparatus through a pipe 35. The container is surrounded on all four sides by vertical walls 17 consisting of an inner section 18 of wood, preferably cypress, and an outer section 19 also of wood, these two sections being spaced apart to form an air chamber 20 and the intermediate section 18 being spaced apart from the walls 12 of the container by a chamber 21 adapted to contain salt and ice.

The apparatus is provided with an outer top 22, preferably wood, and detachably secured to the vertical walls 17 in any suitable manner. The top 22 is located above and is spaced apart from the top 1 1 of the containerand from said top 22 a tension member 23 extends downwardly and is fastened to the top 14-, said top as illustrated in Fig. 2 being depressed to form a concavity 24 which is adapted to hold liquid. The top 22 is provided with doors 25 and 26 hinged to the central portion 27 of said top, whereby ice and salt may be provided to the chambers 21 and to the chamber 28 located between the top 22 and the top 14.

Access is had to the container 11 through a passageway 36, the entrance of which is closed by a door 29 which consists of two layers of wood 30 and 31 separated by a layer of paper 32, said layers of wood being formed of matched boards and extending at right angles to each other. The door 29 is hinged at 33 to one of the outer walls of the apparatus and is held tightly closed by means of a fastening device The front portion of the container 11 is removably secured to the front vertical wall 17 by means of bolts 37 and at the rear said container is secured to the rear vertical wall 17 by brackets 38. When the bolts 37 are removed, and the brackets 38 unfastened, the container 11 may be lifted upwardly and removed through the opening in the top of the apparatus, the top 22 of which having previously been removed therefrom.

In securing the container 11 to the front vertical wall 17 a frame 39 is employed which performs the joint function of spacing the container 11 at a distance from said front vertical wall and clamping a flange 40 formed upon the metal wall 12 against said front vertical wall 17 as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 in a manner to prevent the brine vithin the chamber 21 from leaking into the passageway 36.

The general operation of the apparatus hereinbefore specifically and to some extent in general described is as follows :The apparatus is packed with salt and ice to fill the chambers 21 and 28 and the doors 25 and 26 areclosed. Articles to be delivered and to be kept cool are placed within the container 11 by opening the door 29 and when all of the articles have been placed in the container the door is closed tight and held so closed by the fastening device 34. The heat from the outer air enters to a certain extent through the vertical and top walls of the apparatus and causes the ice and salt to mix and intermingle, thus forming a freezing mixture of brine and the ice and salt in the same way melt and intermingle to form a freezing mixture which fills the concavity 21-. This freezing mixture of brine flows over the edges of the concavity 2a and descends in a continual sheet around the four sides of the container, then passes therebeneath filling the spaces 16 in the floor of the apparatus and outwardly through the pipe 35. This process of the melted ice and the flowing brine causes a very low temperature, namely, five degrees below zero to be obtained and maintained in the interior of the container 11 the said container being continually surrounded on all four sides, top and bottom by a freezing mixture of flowing brine through which heat must pass before entering the container.

lVhile I have described my apparatus and claimed the same as embodying a plurality of spaces 16 beneath the container through which the brine may flow in contact with the bottom 13 of the container, it is evident that without departing from the spirit of my invention. a single large space segregated from the cooling chamber of the container may be utilized instead of a plurality of small spaces. It is also evident that while I have described my invention as being particularly adapted to be used in connection with a vehicle, the apparatus may be used as a stationary apparatus without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1 claim:

1. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container having a cooling chamber for articles, the walls of said apparatus having a plurality of chambers therein, one of said wall chambers being adapted to contain a mixture of ice and salt and another of said wall chambers constituting an air chamber surrounding said ice and salt chamber and segregated from said cooling chamber.

2. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container having a cooling chamber for articles, the walls of said apparatus having a plurality of chambers therein, one of said wall chambers being adapted to contain a mixture of ice and salt and another of said wall chambers constituting a closed air chamber surrounding said ice and salt chamber, both of said wall chambers being segregated from said cooling chamber.

3. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container having a cooling chamber for articles, the walls of said container comprising a section of sheet metal, an intermediate section of wood spaced apart from said sheet metal section to form a chamber adapted to contain a mixture of ice and salt and another section of wooc spaced apart from said intermediate section forming an empty air chamber segregated from said cooling chamber.

4. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container having a cooling chamber for articles, the walls of said container comprising a section of sheet metal, an intermediate section of wood spaced apart from said sheet metal section to form a chamber adapted to contain a mixture of ice and salt, a floor having spaces therein beneath the bottom of said container and another section of wood spaced apart from said intermediate section to form an air chamber segregated from said cooling chamber.

5. A refrigerating apparatu having, .in combination, a container having a cooling chamber for articles, the walls of said coutainer comprising a section of sheet metal, the top of said container being depressed between the edges thereof to form a concavity adapted to hold liquid, an intermediate section of wood spaced apart from said container to form a chamber adapted to contain a mixture of ice and salt and an outer section of wood spaced apart from said intermediate section to form an air chamber segregated from said cooling chamber.

6. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container having a cooling chamber for articles, the walls of said apparatus having a chamber therein surrounding said container and communicating with space in the floor of said apparatus beneath the bottom of said container, the top of said container being depressed between the edges thereof to form a concavity adapted to hold liquid and communicating with said last-named chamber whereby liquid overflowing from said concavity may contact with the sides and bottom of said container.

7. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container having a cooling chamber for articles, the walls of said apparatus having a chamber therein surrounding said container and communicating with spaces in the floor of said apparatus beneath the bottom of said container, the top of said container being depressed between the edges thereof to form a concavity adapted to hold ice and salt and communicating with said last-named chamber whereby liquid brine may be caused to flow along the top, side walls and bottom of said container and out of an orifice provided in the bottom of said apparatus.

8. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container having a cooling chamber for articles, the walls of said apparatus having a chamber therein surrounding said container, the top of said container being depressed between the edges thereof to form a concavity adapted to hold liquid and communicating with said last-named chamber, the walls of said apparatus being further provided with an air chamber surrounding said last-named chamber and segregated from said cooling chamber.

9. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container having a cooling chamber for articles, the walls of said container comprising a section of sheet material, the top of said container being depressed between its edges to form a concavity adapted to contain liquid, an intermediate section spaced apart from said container to form a chamber adapted to contain a mixture of ice and salt, an outer section spaced apart from said intermediate section to form an air chamber segregated from said cooling chamber, an outer top, and a tension member connecting: said outer top with said container top, spaced apart from said container top and forming a chamber adapted to contain brine.

10. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container for articles comprising a section consisting of vertical walls, a bottom, and a top depressed between the edges thereof to form a concavity, said walls, top and bottom, being of sheet metal, vertical walls surrounding said container and spaced apart therefrom to provide a chamber adapted to contain salt and ice and communicating with a space adjacent to and beneath said bottom, other vertical walls surrounding said last-named walls and spaced apart therefrom to form a chamber adapted to contain air, an outer top extending across the entire apparatus, and a tension member connecting said outer top with said container top and spaced apart therefrom to form a chamber adapted to contain salt and ice.

11. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container having a cooling chamber for articles comprising a section consisting of vertical walls, a bottom, and a top depressed between the edges thereof to form a concavity, said walls, top and bottom, being of sheet metal, vertical wal s surrounding said container and spaced apart therefrom to provide a chamber adapted to contain salt and ice, other vertical Walls surrounding said last-named walls and spaced apart therefrom to form a chamber adapted to contain air segregated from said cooling chamber, an outer top extending across the entire apparatus, a tension member connecting said outer top with said container top and spaced apart therefrom form-- ing a chamber adapted to contain salt and ice and doors in said outer top whereby said salt and ice may be introduced into the chambers provided therefor.

12. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container for articles comprising a section consisting of vertical walls, a bottom, and a top depressed between the edges thereof to form a concavity, said walls, top and bottom, being of sheet metal, vertical walls surrounding said container and spaced apart therefrom to provide a chamber adapted to contain salt and ice, a frame detachably secured to one of said second named vertical walls, said container being detachably clamped to said last-named vertical wall thereby, other vertical walls surrounding said last-named walls and spaced apart therefrom to form a chamber adapted to contain air, an outer top extending across the entire apparatus, a tension member connecting said outer top with said container top and spaced apart therefrom forming a chamber adapted to contain salt and ice and doors in said outer top whereby said salt and ice may be introduced into the chambers provided therefor.

13. A refrigerating apparatus having, in combination, a container for articles comprising a section consisting of vertical walls, one of said Walls having an entrance passage for said container extending there through, a bottom, and a top depressed between the edges thereof to form a concavity, said walls, top and bottom-being of sheet metal, vertical Walls surrounding said container and spaced aparttherefrom to pro vide a chamber adapted to contain salt and ice, a frame detachably secured to one of said second named vertical Walls and surrounding the entrance passage of said container, said container being detachably clamped to said last named vertical wall thereby, other vertical walls surrounding said last-named walls and spaced apart therefrom to form a chamber adapted to contain air, an outer top extending across the entire apparatus, a tension member connecting said outer top with said container top and spaced apart therefrom forming a chamber adapted to contain salt and ice and doors in said outer top whereby saidsalt and ice may be introduced into the chambers provided therefor.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing- Witnesses.

ARTHUR B. M CKAY. lVitnesses WM. F. BAIRD, FRANKLIN E. Low. 

